


Broken Bones and Mistletoe

by ImPoorlyMade



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Broken Bones, Christmas, Fluff and Angst, Hanukkah, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 22:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5803150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImPoorlyMade/pseuds/ImPoorlyMade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holidays have always been hectic at the mansion, but even without all the students running about this year, Christmas Eve still manages to become a disaster for Charles, Erik, and Hank.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broken Bones and Mistletoe

        The scent of freshly-cooked doughnuts drifted out from the kitchen. The mansion was quiet, peaceful, only Erik and Charles and Hank there, though Hank was currently hiding away in his lab. It was December 24th, the third day of Hanukkah that year and one day before Christmas. Charles and Erik had agreed on how to go about celebrating their different holidays. Erik would have his menorah lit and next to a window, as was customary, and Charles would have his tree put up and decorated lavishly in flashy, yet simple, Christmas lights and ornaments; Erik would do some traditional Jewish baking, and Charles would wear ridiculous-and, in Erik's mind, slightly hideous-Christmas jumpers from the beginning of the month until the day of. About a month beforehand, when Charles was starting to outline his plans for that Christmas, he had suddenly come to the realization that Erik probably didn't celebrate Christmas. The telepath had actually gone through the trouble of preparing a dinner for them (which was, alarmingly, not burnt) in order to speak with Erik about the matter. In fact, the metal-bender had spent almost the entire night explaining to Charles the holiday of Hanukkah and the traditions that came with it, the telepath listening intently as he sipped his after-dinner tea, his adoring gaze fixed on the other mutant.

         Currently, Erik was busy in the kitchen, wearing a light turquoise and white trellis-patterned apron. It was meant to have been a joking gift from Hank on the first day of Hanukkah, as Erik was usually the one who cooked everyone dinner and sometimes other meals, since Charles couldn't cook to save his life and Hank was usually too busy, but Erik had managed to put it to use for the couples days that he'd had it. Today, he wore it over his white button-up shirt and black slacks, his sleeves rolled up just above his elbows to avoid any flour or butter ruining his immaculate shirt. It wasn't that he was required to wear particularly fancy or formal clothing over Hanukkah, but he was raised to wear at least nicer clothing over the holiday, and to be careful not to get his clothes dirty. Using tongs to retrieve the last couple doughnuts of the batch from the pot of hot oil on the stovetop, Erik placed them on a paper-towel lined plate he had set aside. He allowed them to cool for just a couple moments before he began carefully rolling each one in confectioner's sugar, just as Charles entered the room, his hair messy and practically dripping water from his recent shower onto his forest green Christmas sweater (Erik's favorite one, with little white silhouetted reindeer lining Charles' lower abdomen and forearms, and when he wore it with the black pants he was wearing now, Erik couldn't look away).

         "Erik, have you seen my comb? I can't seem to find it anywhere."

         The metal-bender, hands covered in powdered sugar and grease, smiled at the sight of his boyfriend's ruffled and damp hair and shook his head. "No, I haven't. Not this morning. If you need to, you can borrow mine. It should be in the bathroom upstairs." He replied, placing a powdered doughnut back onto the paper-towel lined plate and then starting on another, expecting Charles to continue his quest to find the comb without another word.

         Instead of leaving, though, Charles quietly walked up beside Erik, cupped his opposite cheek lightly in his palm, turned his head to face him, and then leaned up to kiss him. Pleased by the unexpected gesture, Erik gave a hum of approval into the tender kiss as he locked lips with Charles, leaning forward when the telepath tried to pull away in order to capture his lips in another soft kiss.

        Charles chuckled faintly at that and kissed Erik for another few seconds before cupping both his cheeks to ensure he could get away this time as he pulled back. "I've really got to go get that comb before my hair has time to dry." He said, a truthful statement, as he would never willingly quit kissing Erik unless it was for another important matter such as his hair.

        The metal-bender gazed deeply into those ocean blue eyes for the next couple seconds before nodding, straightening up to let Charles walk away, out of the kitchen. Erik rolled the last two doughnuts in the snow white powder and set them aside, then walked over to the sink to wash his hands, scrubbing them thoroughly to get the oil off.

         It was then that he heard the loud snap of something like a good-sized twig, but he knew better than that. He was far too familiar with the sound of breaking bones to it have even crossed his mind that it could have been something else. Besides, not even a second later, there was a nearly deafening cry of pain flooding in from the other room. Erik frantically half-dried his hands and practically tore the apron off, tossing it onto the counter as he rushed into the other room, heart already starting to race with panic. Charles was lying on the stairs, near the top, his foot twisted at an odd angle as he whimpered in pain, the corners of the steps digging into his ribs and his hip but all he could focus on was the sharp pain in his ankle.

        The metal-bender sprinted up the steps to get to Charles, carefully taking the telepath's hand. "Charles, you're going to be alright. Take deep breaths." He tried to reassure the injured mutant, ignoring the slight pain as Charles squeezed his hand tautly. The telepath's breathing was shaky as he laid there, trying not to move, trembling and tense.

        Shifting down a couple steps to inspect the clearly broken bone, Erik used his free hand to pinch the hem of Charles' trousers and lift the pant leg up carefully so he could expose more of the injury. The grip on his hand suddenly got tighter, nearly crushing his knuckles together as he continued to look over the swiftly-swelling flesh. There were bumps now that obviously shouldn't have been there, and faint bruises were starting to develop throughout the skin around the ankle and over the top of the foot. "Erik!" Charles exclaimed in a panicked voice, his tone showing just how agonizing the pain was, though his panic and desperation was also brought on by fear of what permanent effects this could have on him.

        "It'll be alright. Don't move." The metal-bender said softly, looking up to see that there were tears sliding down Charles' face, wetting the finished wood just next to where his temple laid. Somehow the wetness in Charles' eyes only made them seem bluer. The telepath's lips and jaw and brows were fidgeting as he tried not to let show how absolutely intolerable the pain was.

        "I promise you, it'll be okay, Charles." Erik leaned up to kiss his forehead. "I know it hurts, but it'll be okay." He sat next to Charles, slowly combing his fingers through his hair to calm and soothe him, hating how he could feel in his mind the pain radiating from Charles, unsure of whether or not that was a matter of telepathy. "HANK!" Erik shouted, not going to leave Charles alone here on the stairs but knowing they would need professional medical help. And thankfully, Charles wasn't under the risk of bleeding out, so they wouldn't have to test his blood or do anything of the sort. If that was the case, Erik would rather try to fix Charles up himself with Hank's help than take him to a human hospital.

        The telepath's hand remained enclosed by the metal-bender's until Hank jogged into the room, a concerned look in his eyes. "What's wr--" His eyes flickered to Charles and he elected to change his phrasing. "What happened?"

        "It doesn't matter, just call 911." Erik said quickly, honestly not knowing how Charles had managed to fall and hurt himself so severely, and not wanting the telepath to deal with explaining when he was in such a state, nearly sobbing on the floor next to him.

        "I'll just bring the car around. We can drive him to the hospital. This isn't _really_  an emergency. You should save those vehicles for people who are dying." The scientist said matter-of-factly, worry lingering in his voice, before turning around to leave.

        "It's an emergency if I say it is! Now call 911!" Erik screamed, the distress of seeing Charles in this state breaking down his regularly calm and tough facade. Not wanting to have to face Erik's wrath if he didn't phone the emergency services, Hank hurriedly exited the room to grab the phone and place a call.

        There was a layer of sweat coating Charles' forehead now, hair sticking half-heartedly to the damp skin as Erik continued to lightly caress his hair, giving his hand the softest squeeze. "Just breathe deeply, Charles. Don't try to move anything below your knee. They'll be here soon to take care of you..."

        Charles nodded weakly, his eyes locked on Erik's as the metal-bender carefully moved to begin picking Charles up. He slid one arm under his upper back and one under his knees, and slowly began lifting him up as he rose to his feet, not wanting to accidentally bump the telepath's leg or foot into anything. This went mostly as planned, but Charles still ended up whimpering loudly at the change of angle that his ankle experienced, sniffling before a sob broke through his body. This was by far the most vulnerable Erik had ever seen Charles, and it physically pained him to view him in such a hurt state.

        "It'll be okay, Charles... You're going to be fine... It's just a few more minutes..." He whispered, desperately attempting to comfort him.

        Hank walked back into the room and watched the pair with worry. "I called, they said they would be here as soon as possible."

        Erik nodded at that and returned to hushing Charles as the telepath let out another weak sob, his head tipped back limply with no support from Erik's arms.

        Minutes passed, Charles remaining weeping in the metal-bender's arms while Hank tried to inspect his ankle to see how badly it was broken. Blaring sirens were gradually growing louder outside and Hank rushed to the door to usher the medics inside.

        The two paramedics wheeled in a stretcher and Erik reluctantly laid Charles on it, holding his one leg up by the knee still so his ankle wouldn't have any pressure on it. He walked with them out to the ambulance, and then climbed into the back with the medics, refusing to leave Charles' side. The entire ride to the hospital, Charles was clutching Erik's hand while Erik caressed his cheek and kissed his knuckles, shushing him as the medics worked. Hank met them at the hospital, having taken his own car, and Charles was soon enough being wheeled inside as they cut off his lower pant leg to perform X-Rays of the fractured bone.

        Erik, as stubborn as he was, would not let them remove him from Charles' side. They even had to help Erik into a lead apron while the X-Rays were being done; when they had called security to take him out, he had effortlessly thrown the guards out of the room with his powers and slammed the door shut.

        After the X-Rays, a nurse wheeled Charles to a proper room and helped him onto a bed, allowing his calf to rest in a small support cradle so that his foot wouldn't touch the bed. She told them that the doctor would be in to see him in a couple moments and that Hank was sitting in the waiting room, and then she left.

        Charles had calmed slightly by then, his breathing shaky and his hands clammy but he was no longer sobbing. There were still tears leaking from his eyes but he controlled that as best he could, and Erik had devoted himself to gently wiping them away with the pad of his thumb whenever he noticed them slipping down the telepath's cheeks.

        "Charles... Tell me what happened..." Erik whispered softly, keeping eye contact with the other mutant.

        "I... I don't know... I was going upstairs... Th-The bottoms of my feet must have been damp enough that I slipped, or I tripped... I just remember falling, and that awful sound..." Charles explained slowly, his voice hoarse and his usually lovely British accent weakened and broken from his crying.

        Still doing his utmost to be comforting, Erik nodded and lightly brushed back Charles' messy hair. "Alright... Just stay calm... I'm sure you'll be home by tonight..." And Erik was right. The doctor came in around ten minutes later and gave Charles some painkillers before showing the both of them the X-Rays, explaining how he was going to adjust Charles' foot to set the bone back into place, and if that didn't work he may need surgery. Erik let Charles clench his hand as tight as he needed, watching the doctor take Charles' lower leg in one hand and the bottom of his foot in the other. "Ready?" The doctor inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

        Charles' eyes flickered to Erik's, his heart racing, and tried to gain some reassurance from his boyfriend's calm and loving expression. "I'm scared..." He whispered. He would never admit something so bluntly like that unless it was a matter of life or death, or he was feeling it on such a high level that he actually required some sort of reassurance.

        "It'll be alright, Charles... I'm right here... I'll always be here... By your side, to take care of you..." The metal-bender murmured, cupping the telepath's cheek lightly and then glancing over to catch the doctor's gaze, giving the slightest hint of a nod.

        Charles gasped and cried out shortly in pain as the doctor shifted his foot into its proper place, pausing to lightly feel Charles' ankle. The telepath whimpered and tensed again, but didn't dare try to pull away as Erik leaned down to press a kiss to his sweaty forehead. "You're alright..."

        "I'll just wrap this in a cast and you'll be good to go." The doctor gave them both a smile.

        He then asked Charles if he'd like to pick any colors for his cast, and Charles nodded. "Red and green..." He replied. It seemed even after all that had happened, he hadn't forgotten his Christmas spirit.

        The telepath was sent home with painkillers and instructions to rest for the next couple weeks later that evening. Erik walked beside Charles, staying near him to help him keep stable while the telepath struggled with navigating his crutches. They met Hank in the waiting room and then the scientist drove them all back to the mansion.

        Once there, Erik led Charles upstairs to their bedroom, and had him take a seat on the bed and lie back. He then unbuttoned and unzipped Charles' trousers, tugging them off to replace them with a pair of frosty blue pajama pants that were covered in little white snowflakes. When he had finished rolling up the one pant leg to expose the telepath's cast, he helped Charles to sit up and gave him a small smile. "I told you that you would be alright... And we're home now..."

        A faint smile pulled at the corners of the telepath's own lips and he gazed up at his boyfriend with adulation. "I never doubted you for a second..." He whispered in return. Erik then lifted Charles up to carry him bridal style out of the room, the telepath letting out a giggle as he curled up against his boyfriend's chest and draped his arms around his neck, beaming. "Where are you taking me, Erik?"

        "To the kitchen. After everything you've dealt with today, you deserve a treat." Erik descended the stairs with Charles still in his arms, and carried him into the kitchen. He placed the telepath on the countertop and made sure he was sitting comfortably, pressing a tender kiss to his lips and combing his messy hair back gently before picking up his apron from where it had landed when he'd thrown it earlier that day. Slipping it on over his head and tying the strings behind his back, he walked over and carefully filled one of the powdered doughnuts with strawberry jelly. The metal-bender hardly noticed that Charles was gazing at him with the most adoring stare in the world until he had turned around, grinning at the look in the other mutant's eyes as he walked over with a doughnut in his hand. "It's been a very long time since I last made these. I do hope they're as good as I remember." He held the jelly-filled doughnut up to Charles' lips.

        "Thank you." The telepath held a grateful smile on his pink lips, and carefully took a bite out of the doughnut. "This is quite delicious, actually."

        Erik smiled brightly at those words, handing the dessert over to Charles before sliding his arms around Charles' waist as he stood between his legs and up against the counter, leaning in to steal a small nibble off the edge of the doughnut as he gazed into those ocean blue eyes.

        The remainder of their evening was spent in that position, Erik eventually discarding the apron, occasionally walking back to the doughnuts to fetch Charles another one of the filled desserts, or to the stovetop to make his boyfriend a cup of tea. Needless to say, he was completely fine just holding Charles, taking in the feeling of his warm and soft sweater, simply glad that he was alright. When they did finally decide to go to bed, at midnight, Erik lit another candle of his menorah, and lifted Charles up to carry him back to the bedroom. He did pause, though, in the doorway to the kitchen, to give Charles a loving kiss under the mistletoe that they all usually disregarded, as they had decided to only count it as decoration. Their lips parted, and Erik gazed into his boyfriend's crystal cobalt eyes, caressing his cheek softly. "Merry Christmas, Charles..."


End file.
